WASHINGTON — Federal prosecutors appealed a judge’s order that would release from jail Georgetown University student Daniel Milzman, who is accused of making ricin toxin in his dorm room.
The judge ordered the 19-year-old sophomore to home confinement and directed that his parents immediately take him to Sibley Memorial Hospital where the parents, both physicians, have arranged for two weeks of psychiatric care.
In an 18-page appeal, prosecutors argue that Milzman may have intended to use the ricin against a fellow student and say there are no conditions of release that could ensure the safety of the community.
Milzman’s defense lawyer argued the 2012 graduate of Bethesda’s Walt Whitman High School struggles with mental health issues. The attorney says Milzman intended to attempt suicide with the ricin and had no plan to harm others. Because of those factors, the attorney argues Milzman should be released for psychiatric care.
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